31 replies to this topic

[colin55]

this i said to be the remains of a ww1 uboat on the river medway,after ww1 there was a place at upnor  that scrapped them

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[colin55]

[quote name='colin55' date='Feb 25 2007, 09:08 PM' post='631831']
this i said to be the remains of a ww1 uboat on the river medway,after ww1 there was a place at upnor  that scrapped them
[/quote

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[Smithmaps]

Here is a picture of the later of the three taken in 1937.
I have personally seen this ship about 20 years ago on the mud flats, and there is a lot there.
I wonder if anybody knows their identities?
Here is also the Google Maps link
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://bbs.k...mp;t=k&om=1

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•  UBoat126.jpg   17.68K   5 downloads

[colin55]

Here is a picture of the later of the three taken in 1937.
I have personally seen this ship about 20 years ago on the mud flats, and there is a lot there.
I wonder if anybody knows their identities?
Here is also the Google Maps link
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://bbs.k...mp;t=k&om=1

I would like to get closer to the vessels but ive got to get the right tide and obviously the right weather.

[Michael]

I get a good view of this from where I work but every time I think about it the tide is wrong.

I must have a look next week.

Mick

[Smithmaps]

I think shallow draft boat on a rising tide would be the only way, otherwise i think you could get stuck there for an awfully long time! I certainly would not try to walk out.

I would love to visit them.

I saw this one from Bury Wiggins Jetty, as we walked out to dig up a spitfire that came down on the mud flats.
Pilot's name was Lund, Battle of Britain.
Guy

[colin55]

I think shallow draft boat on a rising tide would be the only way, otherwise i think you could get stuck there for an awfully long time! I certainly would not try to walk out.

I would love to visit them.

I saw this one from Bury Wiggins Jetty, as we walked out to dig up a spitfire that came down on the mud flats.
Pilot's name was Lund, Battle of Britain.
Guy

Do you live in medway,i live in rochester,My dads got a inflatable boat with outboard,but the tide has got to be pretty calm to venture out into it,

[Smithmaps]

Do you live in medway,i live in rochester,My dads got a inflatable boat with outboard,but the tide has got to be pretty calm to venture out into it,

No I'm the other side of London (SW) but you be very careful, you need total confidence in the motor, plus anywhere near that wreck and an inflatable is very vulnerable.
Definately take a mobile phone, and a waterproof bag to put it in!

I think the only reason that they were never scrapped is the sheer difficulty of their location, and the treacherous tide and mud.

Worth a look though if approached very carefully and safely. Two boats perhaps?
Guy

[colin55]

No I'm the other side of London (SW) but you be very careful, you need total confidence in the motor, plus anywhere near that wreck and an inflatable is very vulnerable.
Definately take a mobile phone, and a waterproof bag to put it in!

I think the only reason that they were never scrapped is the sheer difficulty of their location, and the treacherous tide and mud.

Worth a look though if approached very carefully and safely. Two boats perhaps?
Guy

I work on the thames on a salvage craft  so im pretty use to dodgy situations on the river but im definatley going to plan this trip very carefully if i do give it a go.
thanks for the warning

[Michael]

Colin

Give me a shout when you go, I'd like to come along. I work in the nearby power station. I'll have a look from there next week and if I can see it you'll have to come for a visit

Mick

[Smithmaps]

I work on the thames on a salvage craft  so im pretty use to dodgy situations on the river but im definatley going to plan this trip very carefully if i do give it a go.
thanks for the warning

Let me know if you go on a weekend, I would love to come!
Guy

[colin55]

Let me know if you go on a weekend, I would love to come!
Guy

Hi, No worries ,I wont be going until the weather is a bit more predictable but i will keep you informed,

[Michael Lowrey]

I have some more information somewhere in my notes, but the basic story is that a company bought a number of surrendered U-boats to scrap but went out of business. Low scrap metal prices at the time meant that it didn't make financial sense to break the boats up, and they're still there.

The submarines are believed to be UBIII class (UB 48 and higher); the exact identities are not known and surviving documents are rather incomplete as to what happened to all od the surrendered German submarines postwar.

Best wishes,
Michael

[Smithmaps]

I have some more information somewhere in my notes, but the basic story is that a company bought a number of surrendered U-boats to scrap but went out of business. Low scrap metal prices at the time meant that it didn't make financial sense to break the boats up, and they're still there.

The submarines are believed to be UBIII class (UB 48 and higher); the exact identities are not known and surviving documents are rather incomplete as to what happened to all od the surrendered German submarines postwar.

Best wishes,
Michael

Thanks Micheal
One web site I found said that there were 26 of them originally in the Medway.

I have a set of maps taken from one of them. They are clearly marked with the surrender course to Harwich, the orders for surrender and an English translation are pasted on.
Guy

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[Smithmaps]

And the surrender location
Guy

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[Jonathan Saunders]

These were covered in one of the early editions of AFTER THE BATTLE.  Something like issue 17 - I will have a look at home tonight.  As I recall these are located on pretty dangerous mudflats that can only be approached from the sea side when the tide is right - Ive been caught out in a dinghy by the tide in the Estuary before and it can be a very scary experience - be very careful.  Also take your camera and report back!!

Regards,

Jon S

[Michael]

Ive been caught out in a dinghy by the tide in the Estuary before

I'm looking forward to hearing about that!!!

[Jonathan Saunders]

I'm looking forward to hearing about that!!!

Up to my waist in mudflat and getting deeper and deeper and at my height that isnt funny.  I had been treading on an oar which distributed the weight so you didnt sink, trying to haul the bloody boat back to water, but slipped off.  Once your in the mud, you dont get out that easily.

EDITED - sorry I should have added I was up some inlet just off the Estuary around Queensborough way but much further out.  Within what seemed like seconds the tide went out and took the deep water with it.

[Siege Gunner]

Perhaps a small hovercraft would be the best transport for this expedition.

Glad you survived, Jon  —  it sounds like a well scary experience.

Mick

[Jonathan Saunders]

These were covered in one of the early editions of AFTER THE BATTLE.  Something like issue 17 - I will have a look at home tonight.

The story is in issue 36.  I saw U122 and U123 mentioned as the probable identity and my old history teacher got a mention too  

I will try and read this later tonight and report back tomorrow.

Jon S

ps thanks Mick.  Me too!

[Michael]

Jon

I think I'll stick to a pair of binoculars from the turbine hall roof

[Jonathan Saunders]

I will try and read this later tonight and report back tomorrow.

As has already been said there were 26 U-boats surrendered and consequently dumped in the creeks of the Medway - 23 have disappeared, towed off, completely broken up and scrapped, no one seems to know.  At one point, shortly after they arrived, most of them were moored at Bridge Reach.  Most of the engines and generators were taken away quite soon after (having been purchased by a Mr Batchelor who owned a cement making company at Halling).  The engines and the generators did much good work all other the globe by all accounts, with two of them sold off to NZ for use in the building of a hydro-electric project.  In the photo with half the hull missing - it is where the engine and machinery was taken out.  It was known that one of the dismantled U-boats was U-112.

Of the three in the photos, the single U-boat is the largest of the three and had a hull of about 200ft.  It is believed to be either U-122 or U-123 by the German submarine expert Herr HK Gast and it lies in Humble Bee Creek.  There was a "muddies" (they used to dig the mud and clay out of the Medway for brick and cement making) barge next to this U-boat and I think its outline can still be seen in the photo to the bottom of the U-boat.  The U-boat, apparently sits in a big "mud hole"!

The two smaller U-boats are at Slede Creek but were scrapped in WW2 and very little can be seen from the surface from what I can make out.  There identities are compeltely unknown.  

The article was written about 25 years ago but most interesting.  The only other thing the author added was the danger of the tides!

Regards,

Jon S

[Russ1138]

Hi

Just found this thread after discussing the topic with a forum member last night.

I visited this Uboat about 15 years ago in a small fibreglass ski boat using the article from after the battle as a reference and a marine chart.

I must have been very lucky as I found it easy to find and reach at high tide, me and a friend edged up to the boat using an oar to check the depth and for any under water objects, I don’t recall any serious underwater threats but that may have changed since and I would advise anyone to proceed with caution.

It was pretty much intact except the conning tower was missing and the bow had been cut off this was done to meet with the Treaty of Versailles, the bow was laying on end in front of the hull and still had its cable cutter attached to it.

Inside it was heavily silted up but standing on the deck you could look down and see all the doorways etc.

Sad to say I did not take any pictures at the time, although I may have an old VHS video filmed of it somewhere.

It would be good to see some up to date picture to see what state it’s in now.

Just a tip if anyone is going to venture out and have a look wear a life jacket, take a mobile phone and make sure someone knows you are going the tides in this area a very strong and the mud is thick!

Russ

[Tony Lavelle]

Russ

I've been meaning to visit this WW1 sub wreck for years and did so last Monday (16th April 2007). I meant to arrive on a rising tide but only just made it a few minutes before high water; anchored my boat in Humble Bee Creek in 3.5m water and took my dinghy into the saltings to see the wreck. I could see the vegetation poking through the water surface about 100 metres before I got to the wreck, which was just awash. I got my dinghy right onto the u-boat, took some photos and got out quick to avoid being stuck on the falling tide. I could see my boat had swung round on its anchor as the tide turned!

Tony

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[cockney tone]

Tony,

great photo and map, thanks for posting it and glad you got back safely,

regards,
Scottie.